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DVD REVIEW: RING OF HONOR RETURN ENGAGEMENT

On April 19, 2008 in Chicago Ridge, IL, Ring of Honor held Return Engagement, featuring the second Motor City Machine Guns match of that weekend.  Also, Kevin Steen gets another shot at the ROH World Championship after Nigel McGuinness cheated to retain the belt a week before.  Also, a year before, the MCMG and the Briscoes had a classic match that went forty minutes plus.  Hence the name of the show.

The Motor City Machine Guns talk about their rematch with the Briscoes.  Sabin says they have studied their matches.  Shelley disparages the Briscoes as rednecks.  Another calm, reasoned promo by Shelley.  The Briscoes take their turn for a promo after this.  They thought everyone already knew they were the best tag team in the world.

Silas Young vs. Austin Aries

Neither man gets the better of the other after a lock up.  Arm drags by Aries.  Silas gets out of the wristlock and gets two with a side headlock takedown.  He is able to apply a Texas Cloverleaf, but Aries gets out and forces Young to bail.  Aries hits a suicide dive.  Aries climbs to the top rope, but misses a dropkick.  Knee to the guy by Young for one.  He steps on Aries' stomach, then whips him into the corner hard.  Young pounds Aries in the corner.  Sunset flip by Aries for two.  Gutbuster by Young.

Aries shoves Young into the corner and fights him on the apron, then hits a missile dropkick off the top rope, followed by a running dropkick in the corner.  Young blocks a suplex and scores two with a backbreaker.  Forward somersault roll and he goes for his handstand to moonsault in the corner, but Aries blocks.  Aries with his own somersault roll, followed by a kick to the head, brainbuster, and Horn of Aries after some Last Chancery for the win.

Your winner, Austin Aries!

Jimmy Jacobs comes to the ring after the match.  Jacobs congratulates him on the win and brings up Aries' kiss with Lacey.  Jacobs is proud of standing next to Aries, but claims he is not a jealous guy (heh), he just doesn't like people touching his things.  Aries is proud that Jimmy is proud.  Aries makes a few double entendres.  He compares Jacobs to something he ate a lot of one night with Lacey.  He says he never considered joining AOTF.  Their message may be right, but their voice is wrong.  True leaders don't beg people to join.  He warns Jacobs to leave him and Lacey alone.

Alex Payne vs. Mitch Franklin

Side headlock by Sugarfoot.  Franklin counters with headscissors.  They trade arm drags and leg sweeps.  Not exactly Guerrero and Malenko.  Mercifully, Jacobs asks them to stop.  He calls Austin a liar and says AOTF is about action not talking.  He sends Necro Butcher, with a chair an a fist wrapped in barbed wire to kill the students.

Necro Butcher vs. Payne & Franklin

Necro throws a chair at Franklins head, then punches Payne with his barbed wire fist.  He goes after Payne's forehead, then punches him in the corner, followed by a foot to the head.  Franklin gets repeatedly punched, then chokeslammed on a chair.  Payne tries to fight back, but he gets punched in the face.  Double pin by Necro.

Your winner, Necro Butcher!

After the match, Necro goes after his opponents a little more.

Sweet n' Sour, Inc. (Adam Pearce & Brent Albright) vs. Claudio Castagnoli & Pelle Primeau

Pearce wants, and gets, Pelle to start.  Pelle uses his quickness to evade Pearce, but he is eventually caught and just as quickly, he is beaten down.  With an assist from Claudio, Pelle hits a rana on Pearce.  Another assist from Claudio results in Albright and Pearce being taken down.  Pearce catches Pelle with a crossbody.  Pelle rolls out of Albright's way and gets two with a roll up.  Kryptonite Krunch from Albright.  Pelle is beaten in the corner and Pearce comes back in, chopping and slugging him.  Pelle fires back, but he is floored with a powerbomb.  Albright tags in to continue the assault with a backbreaker into an overhead slam.  S n' S keep making tags and pounding on Pelle.

Pelle escapes a suplex and finally tags in Claudio, who comes in throwing Europeans.  Back body drop to Albright, European to Pearce.  Giant Swing on Albright.  Albright avoids a European.  Claudio clotheslines Pearce and hits a Black Tornado Slam on Albright for two when Pearce breaks the pin up.  Pelle with a springboard seated senton and double stomp on Pearce.  Pearce bails and Pelle jumps off the apron with a dropkick, sending Pearce into a guardrail.

Powerslam by Albright as Hagadorn clotheslines Pelle on the floor.  Albright goes for a Half Nelson suplex, but Pearce accidentally hits him with the briefcase.  Claudio Europeans Pearce out of the ring and hits a Ricola Bomb on Albright for the win.

Your winners, Pelle Primeau & Claudio Castagnoli!

Sweeney tries to keep the peace after the match.  Albright isn't happy.

Kevin Steen is at a gym and whaaaa???  He references Nigel telling him to take things seriously if he wants to be champion and he climbs on a treadmill.  It's Steen talking about how he can win the title in one of those loud voices he does where he kind of sounds like he is doing a bad Christopher Walken impersonation.

Four Corner Survival:  Lacey vs. Daizee Haze vs. MsChif vs. Ashley Lane

Lane and MsChif start.  MsChif scares her off with a scream.  They do lock up and trade wrist holds.  Roll up by MsChif for two.  Arm drags from Lane.  MsChif clubs Lane in the back of the head.  She tags Haze in, but Lacey bails and won't tag in for Lane.  Haze and Lane sloppily go at it before Lane gets an arm drag.  Haze reverses with a Hammerlock.  Lacey comes in and kicks Haze.  Lane takes Haze to the mat.

Haze back with a couple of forearms.  Lacey distracts Haze by kicking her in the back.  Lane tags in Lacey and she pounds Haze in the back, then slams her head on the mat.  Lacey trips and seemingly hurts herself.  Lane comes back in and goes after Haze.  Haze tags MsChif in.  MsChif stretches Lane's leg for two.  MsChif with a clothesline.  Lacey, feeling better, tags in and knocks Haze off the apron before kicking and choking Lane.  Snapmare and Dragon Kicks by Lacey for two.  Lane trips Lacey with a Jackknife Pin for two.  Neckbreaker by Lacey, followed by a butterfly lock.  Haze breaks it up.  MsChif tags in and screams at Lacey.  Lacey gets caught between MsChif and Haze.  Chinbreakers from both, followed by a MsChif clothesline.  MsChif gets two with a standing moonsault.  MsChif stretches Lacey in the middle of the ring.  Lane interferes and kicks MsChif, hitting a knee to the head and clothesline.  Lacey with a dropkick to Lane's head.  TKO by Lacey to Haze.  MsChif rolls up Lacey for two.

Lane, Haze, & Lacey are fighting on the floor when MsChif climbs to the top rope and dives onto them.  MsChif covers Lacey in the ring for two.  They trade shots and struggle for the advantage.  Haze pulls Lacey out of the ring.  Lane with a crossbody on MsChif for two.  MsChif rolls over for her own two count.  MsChif is bridged to the mat and hit with an elbow by Lane for two.  Desecrator by MsChif to Lane for the win.

Your winner, MsChif!

Jimmy Jacobs makes another appearance.  He holds the ropes open for MsChif.  Jacobs wants to know if she is okay.  Jacobs says that Austin said some pretty nasty lies.  He wants to hear from Lacey that they are lies and wants her to make it better.  She didn't want to do this here, but she says they have to go there separate ways.  Austin is waiting for her on the entrance way and they share a kiss.  Jacobs sits in the ring and cries.  Age of the Fall come out to collect Jacobs.

Chris Hero w/ Sweet n' Sour, Inc. vs. Delirious

Hero knocks Delirious down while he isn't looking.  Delirious reverses a suplex with a rana, then gets a side headlock takedown, followed by a couple of arm drags and a crucifix pin for two.  Side headlock on the mat by Delirious.  The shoulderblock spot.  Another side headlock takedown by Delirious.  Hero tries to suplex out, but Delirious maintains the hold.  Hero stomps Delirious in the head.  Hero clubs him in the back and stomps a couple more times.  Headbutts from Delirious and Hero bails.

Delirious chases Sweeney on the floor.  Roaring Elbow from Hero, followed by a dropkick to the head.  Elbow to Delirious' head.  He drops Delirious on his bottom for two, then stomps him in his posterior.  Delirious with a quick pin for two.  Back senton by Hero gets two.  Stomps to Delirious' head.  Hero continues to toy with Delirious.  Delirious comes back with a DDT.  Delirious with a series of shots and an enziguri.  He punches Hero in the chest.  Delirious drops Hero's neck across the top rope and comes off the top with a rana.  Delirious goes for Panic Attack, but Hero hits a couple of Roaring Elbows for the win.

Your winner, Chris Hero!

The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley) vs. The Briscoes

Sabin and Mark start trading holds.  Sabin easily gets out of the headscissors.  Shoulderblocks in the corner by Mark.  Headscissors takedown by Sabin.  Samoan Drop and senton off the second rope by Mark.  Jay tags in, but Sabin rolls him up for two.  Wrist lock by Sabin.  Shelley tags in with a double axe handle to Jay's back.  Snapmare and a knee drop for two.  The MCMG double team Jay and Sabin covers for two.

Shelley tags back in and Sabin throws Jay into his boots.  High angle back suplex by Shelley gets two.  Jay with a side headlock, but Shelley quickly counters with an abdominal stretch.  Sunset flip by Shelley for two.  Mark and Sabin take turns rolling their respective partners over, then Sabin with a sunset flip on Mark for stereo twos on the Briscoes.

Abdominal stretch by Shelley to Jay.  Sabin takes Mark out of the ring, then gives Jay a dropkick while he is in the hold.  Jay avoids a double team.  Leg lariat by Jay to Shelley and Mark in with a springboard double stomp.  Double team shoulder tackle to Shelley.  Scoop slam by Jay and a knee drop off the middle rope by Mark for two.  More knee drops from Mark and Jay tags back in.  Back elbow by Jay for two.

Sabin low bridges Jay out of the ring and the MCMG with stereo kicks to Mark.  Shelley with a snapmare and slingshot elbow drop.  Slingshot senton by Sabin.  Sabin uses Shelley to kick Jay, then flips him back onto Mark.  Sabin clotheslines Jay out of the ring.  Sabin makes like he is going to dive out, but Jay moves, only to get in the way of Shelley diving off the apron, as the crowd gets to its' feet.

Dropkick by Mark to Shelley.  The ref won't let Sabin dive out of the ring, but he does it anyway while his back is turned.  Very cool.  Sabin pulls back with a leg trap/half crab combo on Mark and Shelley sneaks a low blow in.  Jay makes the blind tag and clotheslines Shelley after a chinbreaker by Mark.  Jay charges, then hits a snapmare followed by a dropkick to the head.

Mark tags in and punches Sabin in the abdomen.  Mark with repeated punches in the corner, followed by stomps and a knee for two.  Jay tags back in.  He catches Sabin with a spinebuster and tags Mark in.  The Briscoes toss Sabin up and he crashes to the mat for two.  Mark with knees and kicks to the back for another two.  Abdominal stretch by Mark.  Jay tags in and whips Sabin into a kick from Mark for two.

European Uppercut followed by a dropkick to Sabin for two.  Mark tags in.  Snapmare by Jay and Mark applies a chinlock.  Sabin fights out with an enziguri and Shelley tags in.  He comes off the top with a dropkick on Mark.  Codebreaker to Jay.  DDT off the ropes to Mark.  Sabin leaps off Shelley's back and dropkicks Jay off the apron.  Shelley goes for a frog splash, but Mark gets the knees up.  Sabin with a cutter on Mark.  Shelley locks in a crossface.  Jay tries to break it up, but Sabin ties him up.  Mark makes the ropes.

Mark blocks charges and hits a moonsault press on the MCMG.  Jay tags in and superkicks Sabin.  Shelley kicks Mark, but Jay comes off the top and helps his brother.  Sabin in with an enziguri to Jay.  Mark with a spinning heel kick to Sabin and Jay gets two with a DVD to Shelley.

Double team knee drop by the Briscoes for two.  They go for the Doomsday, but Shelley counters with a Victory Roll for two, then drives Jay's head into the mat.  Sabin tags in and kicks Mark.  Another double team by the MCMG as Shelley comes off the top with a senton.  Mark suplexes Shelley on to Sabin to break up a pin and all fore men are down.

Sabin and Mark trade chops.  Roll up by Jay for two.  Mark dives onto Shelley.  Jay Driller on Sabin for two.  Doomsday Device on Sabin, but Shelley breaks the pin up.  He takes Jay out of the ring.  Suplex by Mark to Sabin.  Mark to the top, but Sabin avoids the Shooting Star Press.  Shelley tags in and hits Sliced Bread #2 on Mark for a near fall.

Jay goes up to meet Shelley, but Sabin comes in gives Jay a release German Suplex off the top.  Mark goes up to meet Shelley, but Shelley with Super Sliced Bread #2 for the win.

Your winners, the Motor City Machine Guns!

Age of the Fall come out and assault the Briscoes.  Jimmy gets the Spike out.  It's a pretty vicious beating.  The Briscoes are shown taking themselves to the hospital afterwards.

Kota Ibushi vs. El Generico

They feel each other out for a bit and trade reversals.  Kota bridges Generico to the mat with a knuckle lock.  Generico does the same and works on Ibushi's arm.  Side headlock by Generico.  Dropkick by Kota and it's a beauty.  He kicks Generico in the corner.  Stiff kick to the chest.  Snapmare and dragon kick for two.  Chinlock by Ibushi.

Knees and kicks to Generico.  Generico gets his knees up on a standing moonsault.  Scoop slam by Generico for two.  Elbow drop for two with a weak cover.  Dropkick by Generico for two.  Generico blocks a charge and connects with a cross body off the middle rope for two.  Backbreaker by Generico.  He gets two with a split legged moonsault.  Forearm exchange.  Ibushi spikes him with a rana.

Running kick to Generico.  Generico with a tilt a whirl backbreaker.  He goes to the top rope, but Ibushi backflips to knock him off the top and to the floor.  He then moonsaults onto Generico.  Generico tries to flip over the top into the ring, but Kota slams him down for two.  More kicks and a standing moonsault for another near fall.    Generico blocks a kick and hits a spin out powerbomb for two.

Kota blocks a charge, but runs into a Michinoku Driver for two.  Kota blocks the Yakuza Kick and kicks Generico in the head.  The two go face to face.  Kota with a kick to the head and German Suplex for two.  Generico goes to the top to meet Ibushi.  Ibushi knocks him off the top and hits a standing moonsault for two after landing on his feet from the top rope moonsault.

Ibushi charges in the corner, but Generico follows in the opposite corner and gets two with a top rope splash.  Another kick knocks Generico down.  Generico meets Kota at the top rope.  Kota goes for a powerbomb, but Generico lands on his feet, then hits a corner Yakuza Kick.  He sets up for a BRAAAIINNNBUSSTAAHHH, but Ibushi blocks and hits an inverted rana off the top for two.  Corkscrew 450 Splash from Ibushi for the win on his last night of the tour.

Your winner, Kota Ibushi!

Sweet n' Sour in the back.  Sweeney is talking everyone up.  Albright is still upset at what happened earlier, but Sweeney calms him down.

Age of the Fall (Tyler Black, Joey Matthews, & Zach Gowen) vs. The Vulture Squad (Jack Evans, Jigsaw, & Ruckus)

Evans and Matthews start with a lock up.  Evans forces Matthews to the mat.  Matthews trips Evans, but gets pinned for two.  Matthews takes Evans to the mat and works the arm.  Evans uses his agility to get out of the hold and rana Matthews.  Matthews catches him on a rana attempt and kicks him, but Evans flips back with a kick and tags Ruckus in.  Ruckus with a suplex to Matthews, then he flips Black onto him.  Standing moonsault from Ruckus, standing SSP from Evans onto Matthews.  AOTF regroup on the floor.

Matthews trips Ruckus and tags Black in.  Ruckus and Jigsaw double team Black, then flip Evans onto him for two.  Black drives Jigsaw into his corner where AOTF sucker punch him and Black gets two.  Matthews tags back in and he steps on Jigsaw's gut.  Black punches and kicks Jigsaw while the ref's back is turned.  Jigsaw fights out of the corner and tags Evans in.  Evans with a springboard kick to Matthews.  Evans gets yanked off the apron by AOTF.

In the ring, Matthews covers for two.  Gowen springboards off the top onto Evans for two, then hits a corner dropkick.  Snapmare and Black tags back in.  Scoop slam by Black, and a big stomp to the chest.  Matthews stops Evans from making the tag.  Evans fights back with forearms.  Matthews lifts Evans up and slams him to the mat for two.  Abdominal stretch by Matthews.

Springboard back elbow by Evans.  Black tags in and keeps him from making the tag initially, but Evans makes it over to Ruckus.  Leg lariat to Black.  Black blocks a suplex to Matthews.  Ruckus kicks Black in the head and tosses Matthews out of the ring.  Ruckus flips over the top rope onto Matthews and Gowen.  Jigsaw superkicks Black out of the ring, then dives over the top onto every body.  Evans joins in on the fun with a springboard 450.

Jigsaw sweeps Black to the mat, Matthews with a DDT to Jigsaw.  Ruckus gives Matthews a bulldog.  Gowen trips Ruckus in the ropes, then hits a moonsault onto him.  Evans with a blockbuster on Gowen.  Black in the ring, and he powerbombs Evans into the corner, followed by a small package driver for the win.

Your winners, Age of the Fall!

Jimmy Jacobs takes out and takes the mic.  He says he carved a niche as a tough son of a bitch, and even carved his body, showing off some scars.  He says Austin Aries crushed his heart and broke his soul.  He can't forgive Aries for that.  He wants Aries to be a man and fight him face to face.

Aries runs out and Jacobs attacks immediately.  Aries punches Jacobs in the corner.  Aries jumps off the top to wipe out AOTF, then he punches Aries some more.  Matthews trips up Aries and AOTF take over.  Cane shots from Gowen.  They hold him down as Jacobs screams and spits on Aries.  Jacobs gets the spike out.  He threatens to cut Aries' throat, but Lacey comes out to beg for mercy.  Jacobs grabs Lacey and yells at her.  He wants to know why he shouldn't kill her.  He lets the spike go and breaks down crying again.

ROH World Championship Match:  Nigel McGuinness (c) vs. Kevin Steen

Steen attacks Nigel during his entrance with a low blow, then punches him on the floor.  Chop from Steen.  He stays after Nigel and no sells a chop.  McGuinness shoves Steen and hits a European Uppercut.  Steen chops back and hits a forearm.  Steen with a poke to the eye.

In the ring, Nigel fights back, but Steen again avoids the Jawbreaker Lariat and comes off the apron with a splash to the floor.  Steen whips Nigel into the guardrail.  Nigel takes a page out of Steen's playbook and kicks the rope into Steen's groin, then throws him into the ringpost.  He drives Steen to the floor by the shoulder.  Steen is tossed into the guardrail.  Nigel whips his arm against the guardrail.

Back in the ring, Nigel keeps working the shoulder, then connects with a dragon kick.  Suplex by Steen with the shoulder taking the brunt of it.  He has until five and Nigel uses it to attack the shoulder some more.  Nigel puts Steen's left arm behind his back and trips him to the mat.  Nigel works the shoulder on the mat.

Steen gets out, but misses a front flip leg drop.  He goes for a Sharpshooter, but Nigel makes the ropes before it can be applied.  Chop exchange.  Steen bites Nigel's chest a couple times.  Steen charges with a corner clothesline, but Nigel avoids the cannonball and covers for two with his feet on the ropes.

Nigel goes for the Tower of London, but Steen lands on his feet and applies the Sharpshooter.  Nigel is able to reach out to the ropes.  Nigel back in control with a Hammerlock Divorce Court.  He locks in the London Dungeon, but Steen makes the ropes.  Steen avoids the corner mule kick with a powerslam, then a back senton.  He hits the cannonball, but does some damage to his own shoulder and is slow to get up.

Nigel crotches Steen on the top rope and hits a lariat for two.  Running European and Lariat for two.  Another London Dungeon.  Steen makes the ropes and gets the Sharpshooter cinched in.  Again, Nigel makes the ropes.  Steen with a pumphandle neckbreaker across the knee.  Swanton by Steen, and he goes to the top again.  Frog Splash by Steen, but Nigel kicks out at two.

The two get up and exchange shots.  Steen ducks a Lariat and gets out of a sleeper.  He avoids the Jawbreaker with a superkick.  Nigel drives Steen into the corner, but his charge is blocked.  Steen pins Nigel with his feet on the ropes for two.  He nails the Package Piledriver, but Nigel gets the boot on the bottom rope.

Steen and Nigel get on the apron next to the table.  Nigel shoves Steen into the ringpost, kicks him in the back, and clotheslines him down through the table.  Nigel rolls Steen in the ring.  Lariat from Nigel for two.  Steen sits on Nigel for two.  He goes for the Sharpshooter again, but Nigel goes for the eyes.  Steen finally hits the Jawbreaker with Steen struggling to see and grabs the tights for good measure to win the match.

Your winner, Nigel McGuinness!

Delirious gets a massage from Daizee Haze to end the DVD.  He gets too eager, though, and freaks her out.

Match thoughts:

Perfectly acceptable opener, the kind of match that ROH doesn't do enough to open shows, namely a match under 10 minutes in length.

Good promo between Aries and Jacobs, furthering ROH's most interesting story.

Necro destroying the students is better than Necro actually having a match.

If you are a fan of Pelle getting beat down, then you might like the tag match he is in.  Claudio looked good in cleaning house.  Nothing must see.

And if you are a fan of SHIMMER, you'll like the four corner showcase.  It was ok, but I'm not a huge fan of women's wrestling.

The second segment featuring Jacobs was better than the first.  Jacobs is so good here and makes it seem very real and emotional.

Hero-Delirious never really got going, and was mostly Hero dominating.

Surprising result in the big tag match of the night.  Arguable the two best teams in the world going at it for thirty minutes.  What more can you ask for?

Generico and Ibushi did a great job of making everyone that each pinfall could be the last, and I liked that Ibushi saved a move to bust out on the last night to finally earn his win.

The six man was pretty quick, but everyone got some fun spots in and it was a nice break between the undercard matches and the main event.  This was followed by another must see angle with Jacobs.  Great stuff from him tonight.

The main event was a step down from previous shows.  It was hurt by the feeling that Steen was never close to pulling this one out.  It also looked bad when they showed him in the ring and the crowd was quickly filing out of the ring.  I DID like the story the did with the Jawbreaker all weekend, with Nigel being forced to resort to dirty tactics to be able to finally hit it.

Overall, I'd recommend this DVD based on the strength of the tag match with the MCMG and the Briscoes, the Kota-Generico match, and all the Jimmy Jacobs angles.  Jacobs was arguably the star of the night despite not wrestling.  He was phenomenal in all of his segments.  The undercard and the main are a bit underwhelming, but there is enough here to feel good about getting this.

Feel free to email any questions or comments to edsh007@hotmail.com